# QEMU Helper Bash Script

A simple, easy to use. step by step bash script to run and test ISOs with QEMU. It can also create launcher scripts automatically so that you can run the same machine later with just double click/execution.

I hope you know that VirtualBox is not Free Software. [It has decided to use a BIOS](https://www.whonix.org/wiki/KVM#Why_Use_KVM_Over_VirtualBox.3F) that does not follow the rules of [Free Software philosophy](https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html).

I used to use AQEMU before. But after QEMU was updated to 3.0, some issues started happening with it and the author did not have the time and resources to fix it. After waiting for some times I saw no progress. So I made this myself to help in my QEMU adventures!


# Installation and Usage

- Download the qemuh.sh and keep it somewhere. (e.g. `~/Downloads`)
- Now `cd` to the directory and make it executable. (e.g. `cd ~/Downloads && chmod +x qemuh.sh`)
- Then run it:

`./qemuh.sh`

It will ask some questions. Each step is almost self explanatory. When it asks for the ISO, just open the folder with ISO and drag and drop the file into your terminal window, then press enter.

You can optionally run with `-s` command line parameter to save a launcher script, so that you don't have to enter all the information again and again:

`./qemuh.sh -s kubuntu-launcher.sh`

This will save the command for launching QEMU with the specific command. You can just run the script next time (or if you have run mechanism setup in your file manager then double click) to launch the machine.


# Features

- Easy to use... can be used by almost anyone if shown how it works
- Automatically detects QEMU executable based on processor architecture
- Automatically uses kvm when installed for better, responsive performance
- Basic questions, not too few, not too many... plus, some being optional
- Allows to create launcher scripts to launch machines


# Future plans

I have further plans to include a step to create a hard disk image with size input etc. If this is implemented, who needs VirtualBox? ;)

License: CC0 - do whatever you want with it - no attribution needed - no restrictions attached